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by Jens Peermann on Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:45 pm
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It has dawned on me that my way of taking images is not very well served by a ballhead; a geared head seems to be better for my style of shooting. So I have been looking at what's available and narrowed it down to two candidates, the Benro GD3WH and the Manfrotto 410.

I am leaning toward the Manfrotto, but there is a number of reviews on the B&H site that report mechanical failure or simply falling apart. It's only a small number of those reports, but enough to make me uncomfortable ordering this model.

No such reports for the Benro, but not much information about the product either. Just general enthusiasm for the new toy.

So I am hoping to find some photographers here who can give me some information about one or the other, perhaps even both of those two. Much appreciated.
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by SantaFeJoe on Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:24 pm
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On this post, there is a bit of info on the Arca geared head. I know you didn’t mention that one, but I’ll try to find more info for you.

https://www.naturescapes.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=247625&p=2340341

If you type “Manfrotto 410 geared head” in the search bar above, you will find more info and opinions on that head.

Joe
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by Jens Peermann on Tue Jul 20, 2021 4:47 pm
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archfotos wrote:I've had the manfrotto one for many years and while it works ok for architectural images it doesn't work great if you're not roughly horizontal.  I would not want it for macro or nature images as it's very limited on it's range, looking at that Benro my guess same problem. I am continually having to reverse install the plate to go backwards - kind of a pain. It's plate is not the area-swiss dovetail.  A bit heavy for hiking plus it won't handle dirt. Never found a cover/bag for it. 

 If money was no object then I could see that arca-swiss or the Cube as being the way to go although for that kind of cost I would want airline tickets to accompany the purchase.   Again how much hiking, how much dust, how much abuse? Maybe just a smoother Ball head?
Good point about the limited range. I am currently using the RRS BH-40, which is pretty smooth, but would like something more precise for fine adjustments. Maybe I should mount a geared head on top of the ball head, then use the ball head for "roughly horizontal" and the geared one for fine tuning? Then again, "roughly horizontal" is usually set by adjusting the tripod legs (I hardly ever extend them anyway; just love the perspective from 2 feet above ground).
A great photograph is absorbed by the eyes and stored in the heart.
 

by Jens Peermann on Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:26 pm
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archfotos wrote:
Jens Peermann wrote:
Then again, "roughly horizontal" is usually set by adjusting the tripod legs
It's fine tuning is like that of Sony's electronic level  :cry:
Sounds like I'm expecting more than a geared head can deliver. Maybe online ordering isn't a good idea in this case. Need to find a local store where I can try out things.
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by SantaFeJoe on Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:50 pm
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Here’s an article on geared heads:

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buyi ... ripod-head

Joe
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.  -Pablo Picasso
 

by Gary Gulash on Tue Jul 20, 2021 10:28 pm
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I have been researching this topic myself lately as I contemplate doing more landscape photography. I came across some videos by Adam Gibbs regarding his choice of heads over recent years. He was using the Sunway Photo GH-PRO ii and has positive things to say about it. He has recently switched to a Rogeti RG-1 geared head and has reviewed it on his Youtube videos. I have not used either geared head but Adam's reviews seem reasoned. I understand you are asking specifically about Manfrotto/Benro but before putting down hard-earned money might want to look at all options. Hope this helps in your decision making.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Wed Jul 21, 2021 4:46 am
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I love geared heads and you can spend anywhere from about $200 to over $1500 and there is a difference although as with anything there are some diminishing returns. For normal sized equipment (i.e. non- medium format), my favorite is the Arca Swiss p0 Hybrid in that it is both a ballhead and a geared head giving you the best of both worlds in a single head. I don't like their lever clamp and prefer the knob in the Arca world. Arca-swiss D4 is another outstanding head. A new and very high quality player is Rogeti - check out Adam Gibbs' review of it on YouTube. He also has a review on the Sunway Photo model which he used before the Rogeti. For heavier equipment, nothing beats the Arca Cube or my choice for heavy medium format gear, the Arca-swiss Core 75. I realize those aren't the models you are looking at but just more food for thought...
 

by Gary Gulash on Sat Jul 24, 2021 3:04 pm
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Hey Jens, thought I might throw out another head to consider, the Acratech panorama head and levelling base combination. Not a geared head but a ball head alternative that I see some landscape photographers are using it seems. Thomas Heaton and David Akoubian have done reviews on Youtube. If E.J. reads this wonder if you have any experience with this piece of kit? I would be interested to hear what other photographers are using for their slower paced photography. It is difficult to sort through all the sponsored "reviews" and nonsense out there to make sense of what actually works in the field. Looking forward to see what you end up purchasing. Good luck.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Mon Jul 26, 2021 5:13 pm
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Gary Gulash wrote:Hey Jens, thought I might throw out another head to consider, the Acratech panorama head and levelling base combination. Not a geared head but a ball head alternative that I see some landscape photographers are using it seems. Thomas Heaton and David Akoubian have done reviews on Youtube. If E.J. reads this wonder if you have any experience with this piece of kit? I would be interested to hear what other photographers are using for their slower paced photography. It is difficult to sort through all the sponsored "reviews" and nonsense out there to make sense of what actually works in the field. Looking forward to see what you end up purchasing. Good luck.
Yes I've tried it and it isn't at all like a geared head - I find it a bit cumbersome to use and doesn't have the precision of a quality geraed head but it certainly does work.  There are a few photographers that really like it though although they are a tiny minority.
 

by Gary Gulash on Mon Jul 26, 2021 7:57 pm
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Thanks E.J., I appreciate your opinion. That saves me some frustration potentially. Thanks Jen for allowing me to take your specific question on geared heads a little bit off on a tangent.
 

by Jens Peermann on Sat Jul 31, 2021 10:34 pm
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Well, I ordered and received the Benro geared had and had a little time to get used to it. As expected, it suits my style of working much much better than a ballhead, and I wish I'd taken this step a long time ago. Unfortunately I must have either received a bad sample or the workmanship of this product has some room for improvement. While the Quick release functions for the horizontal and lateral movements work as expected, the same function on the pan movement requires a good deal of force. Hard to imagine that's the way it's supposed to be.

However, I ordered a cheap one so I don't throw away too much money if this tool should not work for me. Now that I know it does, buying a higher priced better quality version will be justified.
A great photograph is absorbed by the eyes and stored in the heart.
 

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